Mitchell SD completes successful lawn bowling season despite obstacles

The Mitchell South Dakota LBC completed a successful 2014 season with a final use count of 2117 bowlers, more than a 24% increase over last year. This upturn in usage occurred in an environment in which the golf course groundskeeper inexplicably removed all the ditches surrounding the green. Bowls USA officials and Central Division leadership wrote letters to the mayor of Mitchell encouraging the rebuilding of the ditches and explaining that the ditch in bowls is as essential to the game as the gutter is in 10-pin bowling or the foul line in baseball. However, Rodney Titze, the driving force in the Mitchell lawn bowling community, reports that no remedial action on the ditches has occurred.

But the good folks in Mitchell bowled on. The final event of the year had a bowler turnout of 43. In tournament play, the club singles title went to Mary Titze. Pairs was wonby the team of Dave Wosje & Rod Titze. Triples was won by the team of Sherry Stilley & Steve Nordwall & Rod Titze. Mitchell also hosted a tournament for the special league of lawn bowlers with developmental disabilities. As Rod Titze concludes, "The Lakeview Lawn bowling group is determined to persevere and we move forward."